Botany and Ormiston Times : Botany and Ormiston Times Thurs December 10 2015

Contents

The legend of St Nicholas can
be traced back to the 12th
century. Allegedly, on the night
of December 5, St Nicholas would
don a disguise and go from home
to home to ask children if they
had been obedient. Those who had
been good were treated with gifts
and sweets. It is this St Nicholas
who is the inspiration for our own
Christmas celebration.
Our Santa Claus is the
transformation of the mythical
St Nicholas, with his long white
beard and his large red coat.
Santa Claus travels in a sleigh
drawn by reindeer, whereas St
Nicholas travelled on the back of
an ass. For the first immigrants to
North America, St Nicholas was
better known as Sinter Klaas, who
eventually became Santa Claus.
In 1860, Thomas Nast, an
illustrator and caricaturist for a
New York newspaper, was the
first to draw Santa Claus in a big
red coat with a fur collar and a
large leather belt. It was also Nast
who, in 1885, first created the
idea of Santa Claus’ North Pole
home. Although the legend of
Santa Claus has ancient roots, his
image as a kind man who strives
to bring children joy is a more
recent development. It wasn’t
until a 1931 Coca Cola ad that the
Santa Claus we now know took his
modern form. It was the artistic
talent of one Haddon Sundblom
that gave us the jolly fat man
with a kind, smiling face and
sympathetic demeanour.
12 – Times Newspapers Christmas Supplement
www.times.co.nz
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History of Santa Claus
The first Alsatians to decorate a Christmas
tree did so with apples. The tree symbolised
the Garden of Eden and they would recreate
the famous scene where Adam and Eve bite
into the fruit.
However, one year, the harvest was so
meagre that sacrificing precious food was
out of the question. To keep the tradition
going, a glassblower replaced the apples
with apple-sized glass balls. The tradition
of Christmas balls was born. From there,
the custom spread across Europe. The
best artisans would try to outdo each
other. Blown glass balls, clear balls, hand-
painted balls, or balls covered in lace, the
imagination and styles were endless.
Subsequently, other decorations were
added to the Christmas tree. Sweets,
shortcakes, candles, dry fruit, nuts, small
toys and any bright objects were used
to fill the branches. A large star was also
placed at the top of the tree to epitomise
the Star of Bethlehem that guided the Wise
Men to Baby Jesus. Many centuries after
its creation, the Christmas ball remains the
basis for the most beautifully decorated
Christmas trees, proving that this tradition
is meant to endure.
How we came to use Christmas baubles